Bitch check



R, SCHMITT May 31, 19,32.

DITCH CHECK Filed May 417, 1929 ATTORNEY Patented May 31, 1932 -UN-lrED- STATES ROY SCHMITT, 0F FAIRVI'EW, KANSAS ,A

nrrcn CHECK:

Applicationled May 17, 1929, Serial No. $3,825, and in Canada Decemberf15, 19,27.

invention'relates to jetties and more particularly to checks adapted to be installed in ditches, ravines, gullies and ylike water ...r channels,'fo'r capturing and retaining solid l material carried by water passing in the ditch and controlling the action of water on soil, the principal objects of the invention being to assure the effective functioning of the check when mounted in a ditch and to facilitate the flow of water past the check, this application being a division in part from my co-pending application Serial No. 190,211, filed May 10, 1927.

In the use of ordinary checks of' this char- 15 acter material rtends to collect at the center lineof the ditch or at some position laterally Vof the center which cannot be predetermined, and flowing water tends to break newpaths around the ends of the check whereby the normal contour of the ditch is disturbed and the check may be partly or wholly dislodged.

Further objects of my invention therefore are to assure the movement of water along the normal median line of the ditch to preventthey water from passing at or around the ends of the check and to enable the check to cause deposit of material symmetrically on the bottom of the ditch so that the check may function surely and without attention to effeet the filling of the ditch and prevent material from being carried away.

Further particular objects -of the invention are tofacilitate the assembly of a checking device, and to reduce the number of parts involved in locking fingers to a head member lto form a check. y

In accomplishingthese and other objects of the invention, I'have provided improved iU details of structure, thepreferred forms'of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of'a kditch and my improved checks installed therein. y

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail perspective view of a portion of a ditch check, a channel bar being partly broken away for better illustgration of the'relation of wire fingers to the Fig. 3 is a more greatly enlarged section on the line3-3, Fig. 2,y showing the wire finger fragmentarily.A i

Referring in detail to the drawings:

1 n designates generally' a ditch yincluding tapering side walls 2 and a bottom 3.

My invention comprises a jetty or ditch check 4 comprising in' its preferred form' a pair of channel bars 5 and 6 arranged in subi stantially longitudinally aligned relation and having adjacent ends'hingedly connected as by a wire loop 7 preferably extending in the bodies or webs'Sfof thebars, whereby the bars may be langul'arly positioned in relation to each other. f

Each bar comprises a head member vand includes a lower longitudinal horizontal flange or leg 9 having substantially aligned apertures 10, and an upper horizontal flange 11 having its outerl edge portion .12 downbent or offset to form`a-longitudinal downwardly opening latching groove or socket 18 at the upper edge of the web and closely adjacent the same. The edge portion 12v com prises a resilient latch or keeper yieldable to admit the looped end of a finger member lto the groove.

Fingers 111 are securedy to the bar and eir-y tend substantially parallel with the plane of the web thereof and parallel with each other' toform a grating section adapted-to bey inf stalled in the ditch. The fingers are prefer-I ably of equal length, and their free endsare therefore aligned.

The fingers are preferably formed of rela- Y tively heavy vwire orrods and as illustrated two relatively long and exible fingers are formed of a single rod or wire comprising a, finger member which is bent atits midpoint to produce a loop 15 comprising branches or arms 16 bent outwardly from the fingers and a connecting bar-like portion 17 l'adapted to be received in the groove and having greater;v

length than the spacing of the fingers. The

fingers extend in 'the' apertures' of the lower l f bar flange `andthe loopy extends adjacent the web of the channel bar. 1

Each fingermemberis further provided with'shoulder-like bent portions 18 at points where thebranches 16 diverge laterally ,to

form the loop, saidvshoulders beingadapted" lo "to overlie the upper face of the lower flange 8 and latch the fingers so that the loop itself is not. required wholly to latch and retain the lin er member in engagement with the bar.

i rod 19 has Opposite ends connected with the outer ends ,of the channel bars, for examplesaid rod being mounted in openings 20 of tlc tllie` bars Een" retaining the bars in di'verging position. finIn assembling a section of the check, the bargmd slidingly moved until the shoulders 18 engage the flanges.

channel Ranges. The loops are of such that their crosszbairs. engage the lower faces of the upper channel fiangeatthe outer edge ofthe resilient honizontal-clipt-lke portion. Thefingers anathen rocked so that the loops swingunder theportionlQand displace it tu admitthe loo xto-thie grooves,.and' enf the! lhops, wit the grooved portions of upper Hangesl The finger members are piedi-to. be mormted in: regularly spaced relation soA thatthe. lateral ends orshoulders 0i the substantially engage eacliother;

Twol on more ci the sectionsinay then be hnglyccnmected, for example by awire loop inserted in the centrally disposedlopenings in the ends ofthe web portions. ofthe had. Thevsections are-'thus adapted to beangu arly remand may be hinged verticy and ldaralLy on horizontally.

The connecting ba-ris adapted in length to lckthmfme ends of the sections in desired' harinmtally hinged position, the sections bei stillirel to hinge vertically.

mi lthodevico, the channel bars form a-tniln fram of which thel connecting j md il. the baan, and the apex. is: the hinge mist. The fingers mounted in the'channel 'complete the. formation of w grating;

An deeiredi number of sections may be .to form a. structure for positioning in a-paziiculsr situatiemtor example totorm e oav stream or diteh,or to spmtlhendf :the waterway.'

A structure comprising a pair of hinged sections may be installed in a ditch with the span-pointed. down stream and at the median line of-thaditch ol at a point in. the desiredi median. liney of die current. The channel Bars extcndtransvelsely ofthe ditch and ex.'- tnd upwardly outwardly with reference to ille direction of flow oi water..

The Enge-rs aref pressed; into the soil, anddue to the tapering conformationof ditches wingers atthe ends will be impressed. more deepl. than the lingers at the hinged ends of the cliiinnelbars,andy anchor thev device, andthe top flanges of thebars will constitutea wen*` Because of' the, nature of the hinge joint, the own stream central portion ofthe check may be depressed below the ends, forv examrs are mounted in thewlbwen langeofrthe..

In this position, thefingers are latched and retained by the lower ple 2 or 3 inches, to provide a downwardly i11- Wardly inclined Weir-like top edge for assuring centering of the current over the check.

Vhen Water carrying dbris, silt, leaves and the like, moves in the ditch, material will be caught by the grating and detained, serving to further entangle material later brought bywater', while the stream of water will tend to move on the median line of the ditch over the relatively low apical portion of thck grating.

The device therefore tends to retain the current of water at the lnedian line of the ditch, and obviates the hazard of building up of deposits on` the median line whereby thc currentA may be. forced. around.: an, end o .the check., y y i Soil Washed` intoa; gully by rain mary therefore be detained, and losses. duc' toY erosion avoided.. Thecheck may beeasilylifted. out

when. covered, or raised to provide elevated portions to trap and collectttrash. andcsilt.

While a singlek section. comprising abar mid finger loclcedV theretomay be positioned right angularly across a ditch, a. pair, prefcrably hingedly connected, and. angularly lated slrofwni, ,with the apex. downstream and at a point where it is desired to liaivcthe middle of the streanais markedly more cective as. above setvr fortlny n y TheA connecting rod joining the freeA ends ofthe head1 bars or sections pirevcntsspread.- ing;` of the angularly inclinedA sections7 and also. tendsto prevent the sectionsfremk being forcedl toward. each other whenwater and material' ,press against the, central hinge of thefhead. A v 4 A check or a series ofchecks may be lo.-y catedl in a grade', ditch or highways, for oxamplek beside graveled r0ads anfltends to catch materiali including gravel washed from the roarh lVl'icn a road to be regraded, the checks may be littedc the'material: restored to the road, and thev checks then, re` pledi f x What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: l n f g 1. In a device of thev character described, a head member comprising a channel including a web. a lower flange. provided with apertures and an upper fiange substantially parallel with the lower' fiangepand having a longitudinal groove at itstjimcturc with thel web. and* parallel spaced' finger members comprisingwires bent intermediate their1 ends" to form loops including connecting' barjpor'- tions having greater length than'the spacing of the fingers,` said' fingers being adapted'fo pass thmowghthe lower Bange apertwresand' theloop being adapted to stand in' parallel relation'w'ith the web with its bar portion engaged in said groove. f 2. A ditch check includingabar hav-ing a flange on one edge provided with apertures and a lfmgiitudinally: grooved resilient hinge sto on the opposite edge of the bar having a free edge portion substantially parallel with said apertured flange, and finger members mounted in said apertures and having shoulders engaged with the apertured flange and head portions engaged in the groove of the second named flange.

3. A ditch check including a head comprising a web, a flange on one edge of the web having an aperture, a resilient flange on the opposite edge of the web substantially parallel with the rst named flange and having an outer edge portion offset slightly from the edge of the web to form a resilient latching member, and a finger mounted in said aperture and having a shoulder engageable with the apertured flange and an upper end portion engageable with said latching member to displace the same for admitting said upper end portion of the fingerr into engagement with the web.

l. A ditch check including a head comprising a web, a flange on one edge of the web having an aperture, a resilient flange on the opposite edge ofthe web substantially parallel with the first named flange and having an outer edge portion offset slightly downwardly from the edge of the web to form a resilient latching member, and a finger including a portion mounted in said aperture and an upper end portion having a shoulder to engage thenpper face of the apertured flange for limiting movement of the finger through the aperture, and having length substantially equal to the width of the web for engaging and displacing said resilient offset edge of the second named flange to admit the upper portion of the finger into engagement with the web.

5. A jetty for checking erosion in a ditch,

including a bar having a web and a flange on one longitudinal edge of the web, a series of parallel U-shaped fingers having their upper portions abutting said web and flange and free lower portions extending in a plane parallel with the web for insertion in the bed of a ditch to support the bar and anchor the jetty, said free portions of the fingers having sufficient length to support the bar a substantial distance above the bed of the ditch and interpose the fingers vertically in the path' of water flowing in the ditch for entangling material carried by the water, and a clip portion formed integrally with the web and flange for securing said fingers.

6. A' jetty comprising a pair of horizontal bars, each including a vertical web and a right angular flange at one edge of the web, a series of parallel flexible U-shaped lingers on each bar having upper portions in contact with the web and flange, clip portions formed on the bars for securing the fingers thereto, the Vfree lower portions of said fingers extending in a plane parallel with the web for endwise insertion in soil of a ravine aridhaving sufli'cient length 't0 S11-PPO@ the bar a substantial distance 'above the surface,

comprising a pair of bars, each having a web and a flange along the upper edge of said web, extending substantially horizontally in angular relation in an upstream direction from the median line of the ditch to form an apex on said line, a series of parallel U-shaped fingers supported bythe web and flange of each of said bars free from each other and insertable endwise in the bed of the ditch for supporting the head member and having sufficient length to elevate the bars substantially above the bed, the apex being at a lower elevation than the free end portions of the bars, and clip portions on said webs and flanges for securing said ngers thereto.

8. In a jetty for checking erosive action ofl water flowing in a ditch, a head member comprising a pair of bars having a weband a flange, U-shaped depending fingers carried by said bars vertically insertable in the bed of the ditch-for supporting the bars and anchoring they jetty in a position transverse to the direction of flow of water, the bars having inner ends connected and extending horizontally and diverging from the connected ends to form an apex pointingl in the direction of flow of water and located on the median line of the ditch, said fingers having lower portions free from each other and of suflicient length to permit insertion thereof in the bed a required distance for locating the bars at a desired elevation above the bed and adjusting the elevation of the apex of the jetty with reference to the elevation of the free ends of said bars, and clip portions formed integrally with said webs and flanges for securing said fingers.

9. In a jetty for checking erosive action of water flowing in a ditch, a preformed unit comprising a pair of bars, each having a web and a flange in end abutting relation, a series of flexible' U-shaped vertical fingers depending from each'of' the bars to form jetty sections and having free portions insertable in the bed of the ditch to locate the unit transversely of the ditch with the abutting ends l by farmed with saidwebs` andanges al wam in the dhd, saiengens. beingdepassible in the bed and the eonneotion apar able to adjust the angular rel-ation ofthefbnrs im homnmk plumar after insertion 0i thQ fingers, inthe bzd, and clip-portions an se` curing saidngers-.to bars.

ROY SC v 

